Top-Rated HD & 4K Camcorders (2015-2016) * Comparison & Reviews

Capture videos of your magic moments

Best Rated 2015-2016 Camcorders: Smart Review features only the best top-rated digital HD & 4K camcorders. Those HD camcorders with the highest owner ratings are listed here. See the latest flash memory and high definition (HD) camcorders for 2015-2016. New for 2016 is the introduction of more consumer Ultra HD 4K Camcorders. Read the Smart Review 2015-2016 HD & 4K Camcorder Buying Guide to help you decide what type of camcorder you should purchase. The Top-Rated Camcorders listed below all have received owner reviews of 4 stars or better, and are a Smart-Review Top Pick for 2015-2016.

Deep Discount Prices – This site offers Camcorders through highly rated vendors at deep discount prices with free shipping on most models.

**New for 2016** The FDR-AX53 is Sony’s newest compact 4K consumer camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model at CES 2016 in Las Vegas (see video below). This model shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) which is at 8 megapixels resolution verus only 2 megapixels for Full HD. In addition to shooting at 4 times the resolution of HD, this model has Sony’s best Balanced Optical Steadyshot (BOSS) image stabilization. This camcorder, although a consumer model has many high end features, such as a premium Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar® T lens f2.0-3.8 (20x optical and 30x extended zoom). Shooting at this resolution will future proof your videos, as the industry moves toward 4K resolution in TVs. Footage in 4K can also be used for Full HD video production, as you can crop or zoom in on your footage and still maintain Full HD quality. Manual Control (Iris, Shutter, Exposure, and White Balance. External Microphone and Headphone Jacks, Night Vision Infrared. EVF Viewfinder. The FDR-AX53 has won our BEST of 2016 award for camcorders under $1000. …More…

*New for 2016. The Canon HF-G40 is Canon’s current top of the line flagship of consumer camcorders. The G40 has a new sensor with Wide Dynamic Range Gamma and improved low light performance. Compact in size. Records video in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) The 20x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and low light performance even at full zoom. The Dynamic SuperRange optical image stabilization (keeps video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). The Large 3.5-inch high resolution OLED touchscreen is the highest resolution screen on a camcorder that we have reviewed. EVF Viewfinder. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, 3 megapixel photos and the new Digital DV 4 image processor. Included are advanced features such as an updated large 1/2.84 inch HD CMOS Pro Imager (better for low light) provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p) a 30p mode, and a new 60p mode. External Microphone Jack for better sound options, and Headphone Jack to monitor sound. The HF G40 records at up to 28mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate), or 35mbps using the new MP4 recording mode. At maximum quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes to a single 32GB flash card, or 5 hours 50 minutes if using both card slots. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). Built-in WIFI. The HF-G40 has won our BEST of 2016 award for consumer HD camcorders.…More…

Sony Handycam Models Lineup & Comparison 2015/2016 – This is a roundup of Sony Handycam camcorder models for 2015-2016. Sony consumer camcorders have some of the largest Imaging sensors available on camcorders today. These larger Exmor backlit imagers are more light sensitive than previous imagers. Sony has introduced a breakthrough technology, called Balanced Optical SteadyShot™, […]

2015-2016 Camcorder Buying Guide – Buying a camcorder can be confusing. With so many choices and features you need to understand what is important and what is not. This camcorder buying guide will help you sort out the facts on camcorders and what models best fit your needs. It will also explain the technical jargon […]

Best Low Light HD Camcorders (2015-2016) – This is a roundup of camcorders that are best suited for low light conditions. Poor performance in low light is the number one complaint when using a camcorder. There are several factors that help in low light conditions. One is the size and type of imager (the chip(s) […]

*New for 2016* The Canon Professional XA30 is Canon’s top flash memory based HD camcorder. Compact in size. New for 2016 is a new imager with Wide Dynamic Range, and better low light performance. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots). Relay Recording allows the camcorder to automatically switch video recording to the next available SDHC/SDXC memory card when one card is full. You can also record simultaneoulsy to both cards as a safety backup. The upgraded 20x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and has SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Included lens hood. Even at 20x, it maintains a light gathering F2.8. The XA30 has a large 3.5-inch high resolution OLED touchscreen. Built-in Dual Band WIFI. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, Digital DV 4 image processor. Included are advanced features such as Canon’s Native 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor (better for low light) and provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p). External Microphone Jack for better sound options. The XA30 records at up to 35mbps. At the maximum AVCHD quality , you can record about 5 hours and 55 minutes to a 64GB SDHC or SDXC memory card. More recording time is also available if you use both memory card slots. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). EVF Viewfinder. The Canon Pro XA30 has won our BEST of 2016 award for Pro camcorders under $2,000… …More…

*New for 2016. Panasonic’s HC-WXF991K 4K Ultra HD consumer camcorder. 4K has 4 times the resolution, of Full HD and is about the same resolution as the 4K projector in your local movie theater. With the industry transitioning to 4K TVs, this camcorder will future proof your videos to look spectacular on these TVs. If you shoot video in 4K and then convert it to HD, the video will still appear much sharper than a regular HD camcorder would. The HC-WXF991K can record in either 4K or HD. The camcorder records video to SDXC U3 Memory cards, with 4K recording at a high 72mbps bit rate. For best image quality the camcorder includes a fast Leica F1.8-F3.6 lens that was designed for the HC-WXF991K to help in low light situations. For night recording, you can use the Night Vision feature. Panasonic has added a Second Twin Camera, for picture in a picture effect. The HC-WXF991K has a twin camera, so you can record a picture in a picture. Included are advanced features such as the new Hybrid optical/digital image stabilization with HYBRID O.I.S. which uses five-axis correction to suppress blurring, 20x optical zoom (Intelligent Zoom function can go up to 25x in 4K and 40x in HD), accessory shoe, and an external microphone jack and headphone jack. EVF Viewfinder. At full 4K Ultra HD resolution the camcorder records to MPEG-4 H.264 at a high 72mbps bit rate. High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature. Night Vision. Full HD slow motion feature. …More…

*New for 2015-2016. Panasonic’s midrange HC-V770 Flash Memory WiFi Camcorder replaces the extremely popular HC-V750K series. It records to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards in Full HD video. (This camcorder features High-density, ultra-smooth video at 1080/60p Recording (Full-HD 1920 x 1080, 60 Progressive frames Recording). It also includes a fast F1.8-F3.6 lens that was created for the HC-V770 to help in low light situations. The wide angle 29.5mm lens can fit more people and more of the background into the frame than a conventional lens. The back illuminated imaging sensor is a large 1/2.33″ High Sensitivity MOS Sensor which can provide up to 1,920 x 1,080 of HD resolution, and improve video in low light. Takes 24.0 megapixel still pictures. Included are advanced features such as the new Hybrid optical/digital image stabilization with HYBRID O.I.S. which uses five-axis correction to suppress blurring, 20x optical zoom (Intelligent Zoom function can go up to 50x), accessory shoe, and an external microphone jack. At full HD resolution the camcorder records to MPEG-4 H.264 at a higher 50mbps bit rate. All other video is recorded with AVCHD. At maximum quality , you can record over 2 hours and 40 minutes of video using a 32GB memory card. Built-in WIFI, Redesigned Microphone shields the camcorder from wind noise. Dolby 5.1 sound. New features for 2015: Wireless Twin camera & HDR (High Dynamic Range). …More…

Best Rated 4K Ultra HD Camcorders 2015-2016 – This is a roundup of the latest 4K camcorders. A 4K camcorder has four times the resolution of Full HD. Even if you only need 1080p full HD, you can take the 4K footage and convert it to full HD, and it will look much better than […]

**New for 2015** The FDR-AX33 is Sony’s newest compact 4K consumer camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model at CES 2015 in Las Vegas and it received many CES awards. This model shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) which is at 8 megapixels resolution verus only 2 megapixels for Full HD. In addition to shooting at 4 times the resolution of HD, this model has Sony’s best Balanced Optical Steadyshot™ (BOSS) image stabilization, the first 4K model to have this technology. This camcorder, although a consumer model has many high end features, such as a premium Carl Zeiss lens f1.8-3.4 (10x optical and 20x extended zoom). Shooting at this resolution will future proof your videos, as the industry moves toward 4K resolution in TVs. Footage in 4K can also be used for Full HD video production, as you can crop or zoom in on your footage and still maintain Full HD quality. Manual Control (Iris, Shutter, Exposure, and White Balance. EVF Viewfinder. Shoots at 100Mbps for best picture quality. …More…

Flash Memory HD Camcorders (2015-2016) – This is a roundup of the best rated flash memory based digital camcorders. Flash memory camcorders use built-in solid state memory or flash memory cards to store the incoming video. (Dual Flash camcorders use both). The recording mechanism has no moving parts. They are usually smaller and lighter than […]

The FDR-AX100/B is Sony’s first compact 4K consumer camcorder. SmartReview previewed this model at CES in Las Vegas. It received more awards than any other camcorder, and is SmartReview’s top consumer 4K camcorder for 2016. This model shoots at 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) which is at 8 megapixels resolution verus only 2 megapixels for Full HD. In addition to shooting at 4 times the resolution of HD, this model has a huge 1-inch back-illuminated Exmor R® CMOS Sensor (20.9M pixels). This is far larger than most camcorder imagers, and will give exceptional low light performance and increased dynamic range. Shooting at this resolution will future proof your videos, as the industry moves toward 4K resolution in TVs. Footage in 4K can also be used for Full HD video production, as you can crop or zoom in on your footage and still maintain Full HD video quality. For best image quality, Sony has equipped the FDR-AX100/B with a Carl Zeiss 12x Optical Zoom Lens. It has an excellent 2.35 million dot OLED EVF Viewfinder as well. EVF Viewfinder. External Microphone and Headphone jacks. Night Vision Infrared. Built-in WiFi and NFC. This is a premium quality camcorder in all regards. …More…

The Canon HF-G20 is Canon’s higher end consumer camcorder. Compact in size. Records video in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) or it records to its built-in 32GB flash drive. Relay Recording automatically switches video recording from the internal drive to the next available SDHC/SDXC memory card when the internal drive is full. You can also copy video from your internal drive to your memory card(s). The 10x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and has new Dynamic SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Included lens hood. Large 3.5-inch high resolution LCD screen. External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, 2 megapixel photos and Digital DV III image processor. Included are advanced features such an updated large 1/3 inch HD CMOS Pro Imager (better for low light) provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p) and a 30p mode. External Microphone Jack for better sound options. The HF G20 records at up to 24mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate). At maximum quality , you can record about 2 hours and 55 minutes of video to its internal 32GB flash drive. More recording time is also available if you use SDHC memory cards after filling up the internal memory drive. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). …More…

Panasonic’s HC-X1000 Pro Camcorder is the lowest priced Pro 4K Camcorder from Panasonic. 4K has 4 times the resolution of Full HD, and is about the same resolution as the 4K projector in your local movie theater. The HC-X1000 shoots 4K video at 8 megapixels (3840 x 2160) per frame, vs. 2 megapixels (1920 x 1080) of Full HD. It will also shoot at Cinematic 4K (4096 x 2160p). With the industry transitioning to 4K TVs, this camcorder will future proof your videos to look spectacular on these TVs. Cinematic 4K is the same resolution as movie theater 4K projectors. If you shoot video in 4K and then convert it to HD, the video will still appear much sharper than a regular HD camcorder would. The HC-X1000 can record in either 4K or HD. What sets this Pro camcorder apart from Consumer versions is that this one can shoot at 60p (60fps) in full UHD 4K. The camcorder records 4K video to SDXC U3 Memory cards, with 4K recording at a high 150mbps bit rate. Dual SD Card Slots. Up to one hour of video recording at best compression per card. For best image quality the camcorder includes a fast Leica F1.8-F3.6 lens that was designed for the HC-X1000 to help in low light situations. For night recording, you can use the infrared Night Vision feature. Included are advanced features such as High-Speed, High-Precision AF, ND Filters, and Triple manual lens rings. WiFi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) and NFC Built-in.…Read More…

The Canon Professional XA10 is Canon’s lowest priced Pro dual flash memory based camcorder. Compact in size. Records in full 1920 x 1080 Full HD (1080p). Records to SDHC/SDXC memory cards (camcorder has two memory card slots) or it records to its built-in 64GB flash drive. Relay Recording allows the camcorder to automatically switch video recording from the internal drive to the next available SDHC/SDXC memory card when the internal drive is full. You can also copy video from your internal drive to your memory card(s). The 10x zoom HD Video Lens delivers excellent image quality and has SuperRange optical image stabilization (to keep video sharp in low light, or when holding the camcorder without a tripod). Included lens hood. Large 3.5-inch high resolution LCD screen. Its larger imager provides 8 megapixel still images, External Microphone Terminal with Manual Audio Level Control, Headphone Terminal, Digital DV III image processor. Included are advanced features such as Canon’s Native 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor (better for low light) and provides a wide dynamic range, AVCHD H.264, and has a true 24p Cinema mode. (native 24p) . External Microphone Jack for better sound options. The XA10 records at up to 24mbps (the AVHCD best bit rate). At maximum quality , you can record about 5 hours and 55 minutes to its internal 64GB flash drive. More recording time is also available if you use SDHC memory cards after filling up the internal memory drive. Canon’s Instant AF focusing system greatly enhances auto focus speed and accuracy and decreases the time to lock in focus (even in low light). Includes EVF Viewfinder. Professional features include manual focusing, 2 XLR jacks, manual aperature and shutter speed, Waveform, Zebra Stripe, gain control, infrared night vision to shoot in total darkness. …More…

*New for 2015. GoPro’s top of the line HERO4 Black Edition Camera-Camcorder replaces the extremely popular GoPro HERO3 Plus series. This model provides Full 4K Ultra HD video (30fps). 4K has 4 times the resolution of Full HD. The GoPro Hero4 black edition has double the framerates of most video modes with its more powerful processor, and higher recording bitrates. GoPro action cameras are designed to record your active lifestyle, and are shockproof and waterproof to 40 meters with the included case. The camera can be mounted on a variety of ways (such as on your bike, helmet, car, boat, etc.) The camera records to MicroSD memory cards at a higher 60Mbps bitrate than previous GoPro cameras. (This camcorder features High-density, ultra-smooth video at 1080/120p Recording (Full-HD 1920 x 1080, 120 Progressive frames Recording), as well as 4K. It also includes a fast F2.8 6-element aspherical glass lens that was created for the HERO3+ and HERO4: Black Edition to help in low light situations and is sharper than any other lens they have produced. The wide angle 170° lens can fit more people and more of the background into the frame than a conventional lens. The imaging sensor is a large 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor which can provide up to 4K Ultra HD, and Full HD at excellent frame rates. Takes 12 megapixel still pictures with a burst mode of 30fps, and continuous mode of 3fps. You can also take time lapse photos. The GoPro HERO4 Black Edition can be controlled by a Smartphone, or tablet. Bluetooth has been added to this model. …More…